Michipicoten - The Final Arrival or a New Beginning?

There's a lot to unpack with this one!

Here is the Michipicoten arriving in the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior late on the evening of June 20, 2024. She was coming in for inspection and (hopefully) repairs at Fraser Shipyards in Superior following an incident on June 8, 2024 that caused her to nearly sink in Lake Superior after having loaded taconite in Two Harbors. Several hours after leaving Two Harbors, a loud noise was heard and the Michipicoten began taking on water, listing to starboard up to 15 degrees. She was able to activate her pumps and safely divert to Thunder Bay, reducing her list to 5 degrees. The 1000-footer Edwin H. Gott came to her aid as she struggled to make it to Thunder Bay, helping to remove non-essential crew members. After making it to Thunder Bay, divers found a 13-foot "crack" in her hull on the forward starboard side. A temporary patch was applied to the crack and her taconite cargo was successfully off-loaded into her fleet mate, the Manitoulin. In order to more closely inspect her hull and make more permanent repairs, it was necessary to bring the Michipicoten to the nearest active dry dock at Fraser Shipyards in Superior. The Michipicoten made the journey under her own power, with tugboat escort to ensure that assistance was nearby if needed. The tug Glenada escorted her to the Canadian border, with the American tug Helen H escorting her the rest of the way.

This video starts as the Michipicoten nears the Duluth shipping canal. A security call alerts other vessels of their approach. The saltwater ship Aujaq had just departed through the canal and was outbound at the time. (This will be featured in a separate video on a later date.) After making the traditional call to the Aerial Lift Bridge, another call is made to the Coast Guard. This was likely an arranged call to keep the Coast Guard apprised of their progress. A nice crowd was on hand to welcome the Michipicoten back to the Twin Ports. As the crowd cheered her on, the Michipicoten gave a nice captain's salute... with the Aerial Lift Bridge giving a return salute. Even the tug Helen H treated us to a salute. (I think this may have been the first salute I've heard from the Helen H.)

I then followed the Michipicoten over to Rice's Point to watch her pass under the John A. Blatnik bridge and make the turn to port, into Howard's Bay, which leads into Fraser Shipyards. I wanted to capture as much of this arrival as I could, as we don't know the next time we'll see the Michipicoten in action (if at all). The plan was to put her in dry dock and give her a thorough inspection. Repairs will be carried out if there are economically feasible and she should eventually return to service. However, there is also a chance they may find enough damage or wear that they decide to retire the Michipicoten. If so, this video may have documented her final moments moving under her own power.

Over the past couple of weeks, we've heard from a lot of "armchair experts" about what happened and what should be done with the Michipicoten. I've refrained from commenting until now because the reality is that we won't know her fate until she is inspected. In my opinion, it's irresponsible to proclaim that she should be scrapped without knowing all the facts. Out of respect for her crew, I hope we can all wait to find out her condition once the inspection is complete. Here's hoping they return to service and operate safely for many more years to come!

The 698-foot Michipicoten was launched in 1952, originally named the Elton Hoyt 2nd. She sailed for Interlake Steamship Company until she was laid up in 2001 due to lack of demand. She was then purchased by Lower Lakes Towing in 2003 and renamed the Michipicoten before starting work with her new owners. All of the Lower Lakes Towing ship are named after rivers. (Her fleet-mates include the Mississagi, Cuyahoga, and Saginaw... though the Mississagi was retired at the conclusion of the 2020 season and was scrapped.) In 2010, her steam turbine was replaced with a 6-cylinder 8,200 horsepower diesel engine. Her current cargo capacity is 22,000 tons.
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